The formal (red) taxi drivers will take to the streets this Wednesday, May 8, in a new protest against the operation of Uber in Costa Rica.

File photo

The movement, convened since last week, is scheduled to start at 9:00 am, concentrating on three major points: Paso Ancho to Casa Presidencial; Autopista General Cañas at the Juan Santamaria (San Jose) airport; and La Merced park on Avenida 2 to the Legislative Assembly.

However, demonstrations and roadblocks are expected in other points across the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM).

- paying the bills -

Uber has been operating in Costa Rica since August 21, 2015, however, there is still no law legalizing and regulating its operation. Or the operation of any other ride app platform.

At the beginning of this year, the government presented a bill to the legislature to regulate the ride apps. However, the proposal has been highly questioned by multiple sectors due to its scope and intentions.

“The ‘fuerza roja’ (red force) lives. We will with the greatest respect and education to ask the President of the Republic, Carlos Alvarado, to meet with us to comment on the objective-juridical responsibility that the president has on the subject of public transport,” said Javier Cortés, member of the organization called Alianza C-1 Taxis.

Cortés says that his association has taxi driver members from all over the GAM – Alajuela, Heredia, Cartago and other points in the Central Valley, such as Grecia.

Cortés added that his Alianza C-1 Taxis is not associated with the Foro Nacional de Taxistas of the Unión de Taxistas Costarricenses (UTC).

- paying the bills -

According to Cortés, “Costa Rica has a law to control illegal transport and it is not applying it. We are not doing this to bother Don Carlos (Alvarado) and Rodolfo Méndez (MOPT minister). The government has been kicking the jar very cleverly, while the Legislative process happens. For that, the taxi driver will be bankrupt”.

“When you are on the way home and pass by the supermarket, without money to buy rice or beans it’s exasperating,” the organizer of the movement stated.

The last strike of the taxi drivers was last November, also against the operation of Uber.